Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s time to start planning your costume, decorations, and of course – your nails!
Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with nail art and do designs that are a little spooky, cute, or downright scary.
If you’re looking for some inspiration for ghoulishly good Halloween nails, then you have come to the right place.
A Cobweb Nail Design for Spooky Style
Let’s start off with a classic Halloween motif – the spiderweb!
Cobweb nail designs are a simple way to get your nails in the spirit of the season with minimal effort required.
Here’s how to DIY this nail look: Paint your nails a deep black or dark gray first.
Once dry, use a toothpick and white nail art paint to draw thin zig-zag lines across the nails to mimic spiderwebs.
You can keep the webs messy and scattered or build them up more intricately – whichever you prefer.
Add a few clear rhinestones for a dewdrop effect, and if you’re feeling ambitious, paint on a tiny spider or two climbing on the webs.
The dark background really makes the white cobwebs pop!
Finish with a topcoat to seal in the design.
Candy Crush Nail Design
For the candy lovers out there, recreate the bright colors and fun icons of the Candy Crush game with this sweet nail design!
Using an array of polish colors and shapes, you can capture the spirit of the addictive match-three puzzle game.
Start by painting each nail a different solid shade – try bright pink, purple, blue, green, yellow and orange.
Keep the application neat.
Once dry, use striping tape to create a white grid pattern on each nail, mimicking the Candy Crush game board.
Then use a detail brush and black polish to paint on different candies in the grid boxes, like striped candies, wrapped sweets, jelly beans, etc.
Stud a few shiny rhinestones here and there to add to the playfulness.
Finish with a good topcoat to smooth and seal in the manicure.
Every time you look at your nails you’ll be reminded of the fun colors and challenges of Candy Crush!
A bright, glossy design perfect for a kid’s Halloween manicure or your own inner child.
Mysterious Metallic Mummy Nails
Next up – a glam gothic nail idea inspired by mummies!
This manicure has a dark and dramatic look thanks to the mix of black, gold, and metallic tones.
Start by painting each nail black first.
Once dry, use a striping brush or toothpick with gold nail polish to paint on diagonal stripes across each nail to mimic mummy wrappings.
Make the stripes a little uneven and messy for extra effect.
Next, take a dark green or teal metallic polish and paint on some vertical streaks here and there to add touches of an “eerie Egyptian” look.
Add any extra embellishments as desired, like gold studs for “jewels” or rhinestones for an ornate mummy princess vibe.
Finish with a good topcoat to smooth and seal the manicure.
This mummyspired nail idea is glam but still supernatural!
A Chic Candy Corn Manicure
For a Halloween nail design that’s more cute than creepy, you can’t go wrong with a candy corn look!
The tri-colored stripes and white tips of candy corn are perfectly suited for nail art.
Start by painting your nails white.
Once dry, use a makeup sponge to dab on orange and yellow polishes – try doing about 2/3rds orange followed by 1/3rd yellow, imitating the candycorn coloring.
Use striping tape to create clean straight edges between the colors.
Finish with a topcoat to smooth the gradients and make the manicure last.
For an extra touch, add some brown squiggles or drips near the cuticles to make it look like melted chocolate!
The white, orange and yellow mimic the colors of candy corn for a very on-theme and stylish Halloween nail idea.
Trick or treat!
Bewitching Black Cat Nails
What’s Halloween without a black cat?
For the cat lovers out there, this nail design features cute black kitties against a background of glittering purple nails.
Start by painting your nails a rich purple or eggplant shade.
Once dry, take a small brush and black nail art paint to paint on simple cat silhouettes – a triangle shape for the ears, oval head, and skinny body and tail.
Play around with posing some lying down, sitting, stretching or hanging off the tips of nails.
Use a silver or white polish to add accents like eyes, whiskers, stars or crescent moons.
Finish with a sparkly topcoat to really make the purrfectly bewitching black cats stand out against the purple glitter!
A cute and mystical manicure for the Halloween season.
Wicked Witch Fingers
If you want to get creative and creepy, these scary witch finger nails are sure to cast a spell on anyone who sees them!
They’re also surprisingly easy to DIY.
Simply paint your nails a green hue – you can do a traditional dark forest green, or have fun with a more bright or metallic emerald shade.
Once dry, use a makeup sponge to dab on some brown, black and gray polish near the tips and sides of the nails to add dimension and make them look super gnarly and weathered, like witch hands.
Take a small brush and black polish to paint on warty dots and drippy black blood near the cuticles and sides of the nails.
Finish with a matte top coat to take away any shine and really make them look ancient and mystical.
Some extra realistic cracks, warts, or spiderwebs take these witchy nails up another notch!
Glittering Girlie Ghost Nails
While ghosts tend to have a spooky vibe, they can also be made into a cute nail design, like these girly ghost nails!
The hot pink glitter base and white ghost faces make for a fun and festive manicure.
Start by painting your nails with 2-3 coats of a favorite glittery pink shade so it’s very opaque.
Once dry, use a dotting tool and white polish to add oval ghost faces decorated with triangle eyes and mouths.
You can keep the ghosts minimalist, or get creative with expressions, bows, hats or other embellishments.
Finish with a shiny topcoat to really make the glitter sparkle and the ghosts float above it.
So sweet and sparkly!
These pretty ghost nails are a unique way to wear the Halloween spirit on your fingertips!
Mysterious Metallic Spiderwebs
For minimalist nail art lovers, this simple but impactful metallic spiderweb design is perfect for spooky season.
The abstract webs look ethereal and eerie against the dark nail polish background.
Start by painting your nails black for a haunted vibe.
Once dry, take a striping brush or thin brush and use silver chrome polish to paint vertical and horizontal lines crossing to form abstract geometric spider webs on each nail.
Build up the chrome polish to make the webs really stand out and look glossy.
For an extra touch, add a few clear rhinestones or glitter near the cuticle to resemble dew drops glistening on the webs.
Finish with a good topcoat to smooth and seal in the design.
So dark and glamorous, these mystic metallic spiderwebs offer just the right edge for Halloween.
Web slinging warlock not included!
A Bloody Red Ombre Manicure
Get your redrum on with this simple but eye-catching bloody ombre nail idea!
The red tips look scarily real…perfect for a vampire, evil queen, or murder mystery costume.
Start by painting the bases of your nails black.
Once dry, use makeup sponges to apply red polish starting very deep near the cuticles and lightening to a bright cherry red at the tips of the nails.
Blend well to create a “bloody” ombre effect.
Take a small brush and add extra “blood drips” down the nails in a deeper maroon shade.
Drag the red colors messily over the black for gory effect.
Finish with a shiny topcoat to make the blood look wet and fresh!
An easy but dramatic Halloween nail to really nail that killer costume vibe!
Careful not to scare too many folks with these “murder nails”!
Glam Gothic Bat Nails
Sparkly purple and black bats flutter across these dark and glam goth nails, perfect for your inner Morticia Addams!
The sprinkle of silver studs adds to the chic Halloween vibe.
Start by painting your nails black.
Once dry, paint on bats with a striping brush and deep purple polish.
Keep the wings spread wide and the bat bodies petite.
Go for a cluster of bats flying across each nail, or just a single one hanging off the tip.
Once your bats are dry, use a silver stud tool to press on silver studs scattered randomly across the nails for added edge and shine.
Finish with a layer of glossy topcoat to really make the purple bats stand out.
Sophisticated and supernatural, these artsy bat nails are elegantly eerie!
A Polka Dot Poison Apple Manicure
This Snow White-inspired manicure is equal parts sweet and sinister, with bold red apples against a black and white polka dot background.
Recreate the look of a magical – but poisonous – apple from the classic Disney film.
Start by painting alternating nails black and white in a polka dot pattern.
Use striping tape for perfect lines.
Once dry, take a detail brush to paint on bright red apples with a green stem on one side of each nail against the polka dots.
Add details like glossy highlights and leaf accents.
Finish with a coat of top coat to smooth the manicure and really make the apples shine…just don’t bite it!
A fun manicure that’s cute and creepy at the same time.
Spooky Striped Pumpkin Nails
No Halloween nail design roundup is complete without some pumpkins!
These striped pumpkin nails are super playful and festive.
Paint your nails with vertical opaque orange and black stripes to mimic a striped sweater.
Once dry, take a small brush and use black polish to paint on jack’o-lantern style triangles for eyes and a mouth on one side of each nail.
You can also add a green stem at the base.
Finally, finish with a matte top coat to give it a carved pumpkin look.
Quick, easy, and perfect for showing your Halloween spirit!
Slay with these festive striped pumpkin nails!
A Glittering Sugar Skull Nail Design
Lastly, we have these gorgeous Day of the Dead inspired sugar skull nails.
The neon colors and eclectic details are so fun and lively – really celebrating the Mexican holiday in style.
Start by painting your nails black first.
Add bright floral motifs at the top of the nails, neon dots and lines around the tips, glittery accents, pretty mandala shapes, rose studs and anything else that strikes your fancy for that colorful ‘Dia de Muertos’ look.
The contrast against the dark base looks striking, and you can get as artistic as you’d like with the details.
A lively and meaningful way to decorate your nails for Halloween or remember loved ones.
With so many designs to choose from – whether creepy, cute, artsy or glam – you can rock stylish nails that put a festive touch on your forbidden fruits costume or wicked witch outfit.
The best part is that most of these DIY Halloween manicures are easy to achieve at home with basic nail polishes and tools.
Get creative, have fun with the details and themes, and get your claws ready to slay this Halloween!
